Handgrip member



Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 29,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a hand-grip member more particularly for sport clubs or the like, such as base-ball bats, golf clubs, etc.

Among other objects, the invention aims to 5 provide an improved grip member for these purposes more comfortably adapted to the human hand and preventing slippage of the club in the hand as well as normally predetermining the proper location of one or both hands thereon to achieve the best results with the club, for example, so as to ensure that the ball or other object of play will be struck to the best advantage to achieve the desired distance and direction for the flight of the ball.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken together with the accompanying drawing showing the invention applied to a base-ball bat, it being understood that other adaptations may be readily made.

ball bat or the like with my invention applied thereto; and

Figure 2 is an enlarged View of the hand-grip member of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the figures of the drawing, the bat Ill embodies the usual wooden club construction having a bat portion II and a handgrip member I2. In accordance with the conventional construction the bat I is of circular cross-section and has a point l3 of smallest diameter, the extreme batting end I4 and the extreme handle end [5 being increasingly tapered outwardly from this point, the point l4 being of largest taper at the batting end of the bat and the 35 end l5 being provided with the usual annular finishing bead I6 which also serves as an abutment for one hand of the player.

In accordance with my invention, between the point l3 of greatest reduced diameter, and the batting part II, I provide a radially enlarged somewhat bulbous portion I! which, as shown, tapers decreasingly, by stream-line variations, from its point of greatest diameter Ila in both directions toward the batting portion as at i8 45 and toward the handle termination as at l9. Between the bulbous portion l1 and the batting portion II the bat again desirably reduces in crosssection as at 20, the diameter at 20 however being preferably slightly larger than at l3 to strengthen the bat at the point 20, which is probably the point of greatest strain.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a view of the base- 1935, Serial No. 18,792

Further in accordance with my invention, I pro vide the bulbous portion I! with a series of longitudinally spaced-apart corrugations represented in this instance by six annular concentric peripheral grooves 2|. Thus not only is the bulbous portion I1 adapted to more comfortably fit the shape of the human hand, but the grooves 2| provide interengaging portions into which the hand becomes partially molded, so to speak, to prevent slippage between the hand and the club. To minimize sharp corners at 22, the walls 23 of the grooves are desirably V-shaped for this purpose.

It will be apparent that one hand, usually the right hand of the player, will naturally be placed about the club either about the point l9 or at about the point Ila, in each case the hand being in contact with some of the grooves 2| and also with one or both of the oppositely directed tapering portions 19 or l8, thus normally predetermining the location of the hand as well as producing the other beneficial results referred to.

Still further in accordance with my invention, grooves 24 similar to the grooves 2| may be produced on the outwardly tapering portion 25 of the handle part I 2 for the benefit of the other hand of the player, usually the left hand.

It will be found that a club having a hand-grip member so constructed and arranged will produce remarkably improved results in ease and sureness of manipulation, as well as in its effect upon the ball to be played.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A base-ball bat having a handle part and a batting part of circular cross-section, the handle part being of increasing taper toward its termination from a point spaced inwardly thereof, and having a bulbous portion between said point and said batting part, said bulbous portion gradually tapering decreasingly toward both the handle termination and the batting portion over a longitudinal extent substantially suflicient to accommodate two hands of a player, and a series of longitudinally spaced-apart concentric annular grooves on the said bulbous portion.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein there are a series of said grooves also between the said point and the handle termination.

OTTO W. HAMEL. 

